Commutator device and time interval selector



June 23, 1959 F. A. GloRl 2,892,106

COMMUTATOR DEVICE AND TIME INTERVAL SILECTOR TILEVZJ- l i i 2a 20 I z/.effi l fav y ivre/V701? FPA/vas x16/@Av #i Mmm.:

June 23, 1959 F. A. GloRl 2,892,106

coMMuTAToR DEVICE AND TIME INTERVAL SELECTOR Filed June 1e, 1958 4 EVS.

United States Patent O COMNIUTATOR DEVICE AND TIME INTERVAL SELECTORFrancis A. Giori, Clarence, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to theUnited States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyApplication June 16, 1958, Serial No. 742,453

6 Claims. (Cl. 307-132) This invention relates to a sequential switchingarrangement and method by which one circuit may be switched to any oneor more circuits and the time interval duration of the connection to anyof said one or more circuits selectively controlled. More particularlythe invention includes a sequential switching arrangement and method bywhich one circuit may be switched in succession and individually to aplurality of secondary circuits, at a relatively high rate, throughselective, relative phasing of the currents that individually operatethe switches by which the sequential switching is accomplished.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus by which a singlecircuit may be switched sequentially and at high speed into a pluralityof different networks repeatedly in accordance with a selected pattern,with which a primary circuit may be connected at high speed repeatedlyto a selected secondary circuit for a selected time interval that can beof very short duration, with which such time interval can be selectivelyadjusted, with which a desired signal can be selected from a group ofsignals occurring periodically, with which a single or primary circuitmay be switched to any desired one of several circuits at a selectedinterval in a cycle, which will have maximum switching accuracy, whichmay be used as a high speed selector switch, with which there is noinherent drift, which will have high reliability and maximum life andrequires no circuit adjustments, which eliminates the necessity ofelectronic tubes and associated icircuit components in a high speedswitching device, and which will be relatively simple, compact,practical, durable and inexpensive in construction.

Another object is to provide an improved method of repeatedly activatinga selected circuit path at high speed during a selected time intervalaccording to a selected cycle, and for varying the duration and positionin each cycle of such activation, and which requires only relativelysimple apparatus.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription of a few embodiments of the invention, and the novelfeatures will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection withthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l Ais a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a chart showing the cycle details of the circuitry of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is another schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment ofthe invention;

Fig. 4 is a simple schematic diagram illustrating a subcombination ofthe circuitry of Fig. l, and illustrating how the duration of activationof a particular circuit and its position in a cycle may be determinedand varied in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 5 is a chart or graph illustrating how the duration, and itsposition in a cycle of operation, of the activation of a circuit isdetermined in accordance 'with the circuitry of Fig. 4.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs.l and 2, a single or primary circuit wire 1 is connected to the movablecontact 2 of a primary switch 3, this switch having two spaced apart,fixed contacts 4 and 5 with which the switch arm 2 alternately engagesas the movable switch arm moves back and forth in an oscillatorymovement between them. This movable arm 2 is oscillated or vibrated backand forth between the xed contacts 4 and 5 by a driving coil 6 connectedat one end to a terminal 7 by which it may be connected to one terminalof one source of alternating current of a selected constant frequency,such as a 60 cycle alternating current for example. The other terminalof coil 6 is grounded, as is the other terminal of such source ofalternating current. Devices of this type in which a coil that isactivated by an alternating current operates a movable switch elementalternately between spaced apart contacts at the frequency of suchalternating current are available in the market and hence have beenillustrated only diagrammatically.

The contact 4 is connected by a secondary wire 8 to the movable contactarm `9 of a secondary switch 10. This switch has spaced apart fixedcontacts 11 and 12 to which are connected secondary circuit wires 13 and14 respectively. Arm 9 is caused to vibrate or oscillate back and forthinto engagement with contacts 11 and 12 alternately under the action ofa driving coil 15 which is activated by another source of alternatingcurrent of the same frequency as that supplied to coil 6 of switch 3.For this purpose one end of coil 15 is connected to a terminal 16 bywhich it may be connected to such source of alternating current, theother terminal of coil 15 being grounded as is the other terminal ofsuch another source of alternating current. This said another source ofalternating current is displaced in phase from that of said one sourceof alternating current by some selected amount such as by This 90displacement or difference in phase has advantages in that all of thesecondary circuits from wires 13 and 14 will have uniform periods ofactivation by the switching.

Similarly, contact 5 of switch 3 is connected by wire 17 to the movableContact arm 18 of another secondary switch 19 which is caused tooscillate or vibrate alternately between lxed contacts 20 and 21 by adriving coil 22 that is similar to coil 15 and connected to terminal 16and ground in parallel to coil 15. Secondary wires 23 and 24 leadrespectively from xed contacts 20 and 21. The switch 3 and its drivingcoil 6 may be considered collectively as a switching unit I, switch 10and its driving coil may be considered collectively as a switching unitIl, and switch 19 and its driving coil 22 may be considered collectivelyas switching unit III. Although in this example of the invention, onlyfour final secondary channel-s or wires 13, 14, 23 and 24 have beenillustrated, the number of secondary channels can be increased by addingadditional switches operated by driving coils for each channel wire 13,14, 23 and 24, and so on repeatedly within limitations imposed by phasedrift and transit time. The number of switches in any case is one lessthan the number of final Isecondary lines.

In Fig. l, the driving coils of switching units II and III are activatedby a source of alternating current in quadrature phase with respect tothe phase of the coil 6 of switching urn't I, and the single line orcircuit wire 1 is connected sequentially with each of the four secondarylines 13, 14, 23 and 24, and the cycle is repeated continuously. Thecontact diagram or graph shown in Fig. 2 will aid in understanding theactual operation, and should need no further explanation. During the rst90 degrees of a complete cycle of the coil 6, the switch arm 2 is incontact with fixed contact fl and consequently it is connected toswitching unit il whose switch arm 9 is in contact with fixed contactil. This completes a circuit between circuits or wires ll and 13. Duringthe next quarter cycle, the switch arm 2 remains in the same positionbut coil l5, which is activated by an alternating current that isdisplaced 90 in phase from the current activating coil 6 of switchingunit l, operates switch arm 9 into engagement with contact l2 andconsequently wire ll is now connected to secondary line or wire 14.During the last half cycle of current in coil 6, the switch arm Z isoperated by the reversal of current in coil 6 into engage ment withcontact S of switch 1, and during this halicycle interval, coil 22causes switch arm 1.8 to oscillate between contacts 20 and 2l. in thesame manner that coil 15 oscililated switch arm 9 between contacts 11and of switching unit Il in the rst half-cycle. It is noted that thesecondary wire of each switch becomes the primary wire of the nextswitch to which it is connected..

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the samegeneral circuit distribution arrangement between switches as thatillustrated in Fig. l is followed, except that the distribution from thefirst or primary switch is to eight instead of four secondary 4lines orcircuits, and the phase displacement of the alternating currents operating the various switches is different for each switch. The single orprimary circuit or wire 25 is connected through Switch 26 alternately toits secondary wires 27 and 23 as the movable arm. Z9 of switch 26 isoscillated or vibrated by coil Sti which is connected to and activatedby a primary source of alternating current with a selected, uniformfrequency, such as a 60 cycle A.C. supply in the same manner asexplained for Fig. l. lts phase we can consider as being The wires Z7and 28 are the primary wires of switches 3l and 32, similar to switch26, and the movable contact arms 33 and resjectively of switches and 32are caused to oscillate or vibrate respectively by coils 35 and 36 inthe same manner that arm 29 of switch 26 was caused to oscillate orvibrate.

The alternating current in coil 35 for switch 31 has a phasedisplacement of 90 from the current in coil 30, and the alternatingcurrent in coil 36 for switch 32 has a phase displacement of 270 fromthe current in coil 30. The movable switch arm in switch il connects thewire 27 alternately to wires 37 and 38 `leading respectively to themovable contact arms of switches 39 and 40. Similarly, the movableswitch arm in switch 32 connects the wire 28 alternately by wires 41 and42 respectively to the movable arms of switches 43 and 44. Each of theswitches 39, 40, 43 and i4 has two xed, spaced apart contacts, eachconnected to a secondary line or circuit.

A. coil l5 causes vibration or oscillation of the movable switch arm ofswitch to connect the primary wire 37 of switch 39 alternately to itstwo distribution secondary hues. This coil d is supplied with anactivating7 or operating alternating current of the same frequency asthat supplied to coil 30, but having a phase displacement of l5 degreesfrom the phase of the current that activates coil 30. A coil do causesvibration or oscillation of the movable contact arm of switch to connectwire 3ft alternately to two distribution wires of that switch. This coil46 is supplied with an activating alternating current having the samefrequency as that of the primary alternating current that activates coil3d, but having a phase displacement of 135 from the phase of the primarycur- .fi to coil 3b.

4'7 causes vibration or oscillation of the movable contact arm of switchd3 to connect wire 41 alternately to two distribution wires of thatSwich. This coil d? is supplied with an activating alternating currenthaving the same frequency as that of the primary alternating ci thatactivates coil 30 but having a phase displac `t of 225 from the phase ofthe primary current supplied to coil 30. A coil 48 causes vibration oroscillation of the movable contact arm of switch 44 to connect wire l2alternately to two distribution wires of that switch. This coil 4S issupplied with an activating alternating current having the samefrequency as that of the primary alternating current that activates coil30 but having a phase displacement of 315 from the phase of the primarycurrent supplied to coil 39.

It is desirable to have the alternating currents that are supplied tocoils 3d, 35, 36, 45, 46, 47 and 48 all of the same uniform frequency,but merely having selected phase displacements from the phase of theprimary current supplied to coil 30, but the frequencies could bedifferent, if desired, in which case it would make rather involved thedistribution connections to the various eight secondary circuits inorder to obtain a selected pattern of activation of these secondarycircuits. Variations of both frequencies and phases of the currentssupplied to the various driving or switch operating coils according to aselected plan may have some utility in a message scrambling andunscrambling system.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 employs a circuitfor an inverse operation that provides a selected electrical path onlyduring a selected time in terval as determined by the driving or switchoperating coil phasing. As illustrated in Fig. 5, diagramming thecontact timing, a primary circuit 50 is connected through switch 51 toan intermediate circuit 52 that in turn is connected through a switch 53to a secondary circuit 54. Both switches 51 and 53 are similar to switch3 of Fig. l in each of which a movable contact arm is caused to vibrateor oscillate alternately between spaced apart fixed contacts by coils 55and 56 respectively that receive activating alternating currents of thesame uniform frequency, such as of a 60 cycle per second frequency forexample.

The current is supplied to coil 55 from a suitable source, not shown,through a terminal 57 that is connected to one end of coil 55, the otherterminal of coi155 being grounded for completion of the circuit to thesource of the current. The phase of the current supplied to coil 55 maybe considered, for convenience, as 0. The coil 56 is similarly connectedat one end to a terminal 58 `and at its other end to ground, throughwhich the activating alternating current is received from a suitableIsource, not shown. The phase of the alternating current supplied tocoil 56 may be designated as of X degrees phase, which is different fromthe phase of the current supplied to coil 5S by any selected extent,depending upon the place in the cycle and the duration that one desiresto have the circuit 54 activated.

With the switches 51 and 53 being operated by the coils 55 and S6,current will pass from circuit 50 to circuit 54 only when both switches51 and 53 have selected relative closed positions, and since there is adifference in phase of the alternating currents activating the switchoperating coils, the parts of the cycle at which the two switches areclosed or connect together, the circuits Stl and 54 will be only afraction of a cycle. This fraction will vary with the difference inphase. This is illustrated graphically in Fig. 5 in which in the topgraph the closed and open positions of switch 51 in a single cycle ofoperation are illustrated. In the next lower graph the closed and openpositions of switch 53 in a single cycle of operation are illustrated.

lt will be noted that these two graphs demonstrate that there is aperiod `in each single cycle of operation in which both switches areclosed, and that period is demonstrated in the third graph line from thetop. From this it will be seen that by varying the phase displacement ofthe alternating current supplied to one coil from that of the currentsupplied to the other coil, one may adjust the overlapping fractions ofthe switch closed periods and thus determine and control the duration oftime or fraction of each cycle of operation of the switches 51 and 53during which a circuit will be completed between circuits 5d and 54.

Phase drift and transit time place a lower limit of about one-sixteenthof a complete cycle period on the length of time interval that can beswitched with this circuit arrangement. A sharper annd more preciseselection of an interval in a cycle can be achieved by a circuitemploying three coil operated switches connected in series in thecircuit and with two of them operating at the frequency of datatransmission rate, and the other one operating at an integral multipleof this frequency.

It will be apparent from the foregoing explanation that this inventionis useful in electronic computing and display circuits, or othercircuits requiring very rapid switching, without the use of electronictubes and circuits for accomplishing this switching. With this inventionit is also possible to select one desired signal from a group of signalsoccurring periodically and to switch a single circuit to any desired oneof several circuits at a selected interval in a cycle. Increasedswitching accuracy may be realized by operating certain of thecoil-operated switches in the array at multiples of the basic cyclingfrequency.

It will be understood that various changes in the details andarrangements of parts and circuits, and in the selection of thefrequencies and phase displacements, which have been herein describedand illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may bemade by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A commutator device for switching a single circuit sequentially at ahigh rate, among a plurality of circuits, which comprises a primaryswitch having a movable contact for connection to said single circuitand two spaced apart fixed contacts with which said movable contact isengageable alternately, a pair of secondary switches, each having amovable contact and two fixed contacts with which the movable contact ofthat switch is engageable alternately, the movable contact of one ofsaid secondary switches being connected to one fixed contact of saidprimary switch, the movable contact of the other one of said `secondaryswitches being connected to the other fixed contact of said primaryswitch, the fixed contacts of said secondary switches being connectableto said plurality of circuits, means responsive to one controllingalternating current having a selected frequency and operating saidmovable contact of the primary switch alternately between engagementwith its said fixed contacts at every cycle of said controlling current,and means responsive to a controlling alternating current of the samefrequency which is displaced in phase from said one controlling currentand operating said movable contact of said secondary switch repeatedlyat said selected frequency.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the displacement in phaseis 90.

3. A commutator device for switching a single circuit to provide aselected electrical path during a selected time interval, whichcomprises a primary switch and a secondary switch, each having twopositions, means by which said primary switch can be connected to saidsingle circuit, means by which said secondary switch may be connected toan output circuit, means connecting said switches in series by whichsaid primary switch as it operates connects and disconnects said singlecircuit to said secondary switch, and the secondary switch as itoperates connects and disconnects said primary switch to said outputcircuit, means responsive to one controlling alternating current havinga selected `frequency and operating said primary switch to alternatelyand repeatedly connect and disconnect said single circuit with saidsecondary switch at a rate determined by said frequency, and meansresponsive to a controlling alternating current of the same frequency assaid one controlling current, which is displaced in phase a selectedamount from said one controlling current, and operating said secondaryswitch repeatedly at said selected frequency, whereby said outputcircuit will receive current from said single circuit only during aselector time interval.

4. A commutator device for switching a single circuit sequentially at ahigh rate between a plurality of circuits, which comprises a primalyswitch and a plurality of secondary switches, each such switch beingoperable to connect its primary circuit alternately to two secondarycircuits, said primary switch being operable to connect its primarycircuit alternately to the primary circuits of a pair of secondaryswitches, each of such pair of secondary switches being operable toconnect its primary circuit alternately to the primary circuits offurther secondary switches forming a group, means responsive to onecontrolling alternating current having a selected frequency andoperating said primary switch to alternately and repeatedly connect itsprimary circuit to said primary circuits of said pair of secondaryswitches at a rate equal to said frequency, means responsive tocontrolling alternating currents of the same frequency as said onecurrent and operating each of said pair of switches repeatedly at saidfrequency rate, means responsive to controlling alternating currents ofthe same frequency as said one current and operating each of the othersecondary switches repeatedly at said frequency rate, said controllingcurrents after said one current having phases which are displaced fromthe phase of said one current.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said phase of the firstcontrolling current after said one current is displaced from that ofsaid one current.

6. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said phase of the firstcontrolling current after said one current is displaced 90 from thephase of said one current for one of said first pair of secondaryswitches and 270 from the phase of said one current for the other ofsaid first pair of secondary switches, said phases of the controllingcurrents for `said switches of said group being displaced differentlyfrom one another yand differently than the phase of said one controllingcurrent, and being respectively displaced 45, 135, 225 and 315 from thephase of said one controlling circuit.

No references cited.

